Treasure hunting the royal fortune - Hindustan Times
Interested in taking part in a treasure hunt? If yes, here’s your chance to earn a reward for this Christmas and New Year festivities. But there’s a catch. There’s no map to follow clues and no guarantee how much you can expect to win, if you manage to trace the ‘hidden fortune’.
On Monday, Office of Nepal Trust, the government body formed to track down assets of late
King Birendra Shah and his family, announced a prize to anyone providing information about unaccounted assets of the former royals. Set up in 2006, before abolition of monarchy, the trust has been entrusted by the interim constitution the task of bringing all properties of the late king and his family including those of his brother former
King Gyanendra under government control to be used for national benefit.
[...]
The trust had difficulty in ascertaining whether the royals had deposited money in any foreign banks and initiatives through diplomatic channels to trace accounts in 10 countries had yielded no result.
It had not been able to make proper use of properties, buildings and plots of land brought under its control. There were also protests from land tillers who had been cultivating agricultural land belonging to the royals.
Now with the announcement of a reward there’s hope that enthusiastic treasure hunters will track down bank accounts and other property details of the former royal family — in Nepal and outside.
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King Mahendra's Nepalese Nationalism
King Mahendra contributed to unite the modern Nepal. Before 1960, Indians were free to purchase land in Nepal. After 1961, king Mahendra banned foreigners from purchasing Nepalese land.
People were compelled to walk through Indian roads to move from one Nepali district to other. In 1961, King Mahendra laid the foundation for East-West Highway at Gailakot.
Nepali language was continued as national language across the nation. Before 1960, 90% of Indian currency notes were in use which was removed and use of Nepali currency was made compulsory. Without any condition the king asked the Indian force deployed for security of Nepal to leave.